The Travels of Anadrasata Nearabhigan: Day 39
Here we are on the 39th day of Anadrasata's travels. (Also, this entry finished on the 137th page of the second book I have used to handwrite these pieces. Probably a good thing I didn't realise how long it would go for when I started - and we aren't finished yet.)
This piece runs to 2,976 words and I hope that you enjoy it. Please comment below!
Index Page.
Daighsday, 20 Naisen, 1893 C.E.
Eheid, 7 Sajibu, 2157 T.M.L.
13 Oztotl, 23 Kiauitl, 6.11.2.1.8.2.15
Dear Journal,
I was woken this morning by Nais bringing me my warm water. We established that she prefers to be known as Nais within the household. I asked her if her accommodations were appropriate and she assured me that they were, and added that Matlal and Necahuel, the housekeeper, know very well what they are about. We discussed what I should wear for the day, that a new wardrobe for local conditions is being made, and that I would need her to come with me to my appointment this afternoon. We also discussed whether, now I have someone to do my hair for me, whether I might experiment with something a little more adventurous than the way I usually wear it. I decided that we will, but not today when I have what might be an important appointment.
I arrived at breakfast just after Cousin Ghrus and before Axolin this morning. Miztli had been and gone for his pre-exercise snack, and I surveyed this morning's food choices while Matlal served Cousin Ghrus. Toast, steamed fish, spiced mashed avocado, and pickled vegetables wound up on my first plate this morning, accompanied by tea. I decided that given the avocado, I did not need butter for my toast. Over breakfast, I asked Cousin Ghrus if he would like me to go to the office parlor earlier today in case more copies of the equivalency sheet were needed, so as not to slow down the work. He put down his drink, and told me, quite severely, that although I had been brought here to help with this task, and all my help was appreciated, I was on no account to allow the clerks to think that they outranked me nor were in charge of me. He wanted them to think of me as the lady who was graciously assisting them for a few hours per day, and not a junior clerk to be ordered around and given menial tasks. I pointed out that this seemed to be somewhat at odds with his earlier position. Which was when he explained that because the team of clerks was expanding they needed to impress my position on the newcomers. Axolin, who had arrived during this explanation, agreed with his father and suggested that if there was a problem they should get Miztli to speak to the clerks on the subject. Cousin Ghrus made a comment in Coac-htl that I understood to mean that would be somewhat extreme. Axolin's response was an informal version of a phrase that my primer contained that was meant to say that an introduction wasn't required because you had already been introduced to the newcomer. Cousin Ghrus' replying expression conveyed a response of "Indeed?"
I took my time over breakfast and outlasted both my cousins at the table, and indeed stayed long enough to greet Miztli when he returned from his club. I decided not to ask him about Cousin Axolin's suggestion.
When it was time to take myself to the office parlor, I took my language and workbook with me. Mr Chicmacyeimetetlitecolotl commented on it, and I replied that if most of my time with them was going to be spent waiting for them to find passages of Ghaistonyc for me to translate, then it would be best if I had something nondisruptive to do while I waited. He agreed, and I spent much of the morning working my way through a revision chapter of my primer. There were some small passages of Ghaistonyc, mainly character assessments of Great-uncle's then superiors and colleagues. Everything is being carefully notated with the volume and page of the original so it can be collated in order (and easily referenced, one supposes.) The number of clerks has doubled since yesterday and they seem to be settling into the work. Mr Chicmacyeimetetlitecolotl did make a point of telling them at one point that I do understand Coac-htl, so someone may have said something that I would not have cared for if I had heard it, but I was dealing with a revision set on actions and events with a definite end point in the future and so missed whatever it was he was responding to.
At lunch I sat between Yeixi's brother Nahuitlaulliyaotl, who told me to call him Nahuitlau, and Axolin. Yeixi sat opposite his brother and Tehaneume sat opposite me. Nahuitlau has come to Tlemutsiko on a matter of business and told me that he had arranged matters to come while I am here - he said that more of the family should meet me than just Cousin Ghrus' household. I think he tried to flirt with me - I gathered from Tehaneume's reactions that he may have been a little outrageous. He asked me about both my accents, Imperial and Coac-htl, and I explained that my Imperial accent was rather provincial while until I arrived here, I was learning Coac-htl out of a book. He seemed to find that interesting, and then asked about my deitical patrons. He observed that I share Lady Xochihtli with five per cent of the population, but the Night Sorcerer is an unusual family patron. He also asked me about my personal patron choice, and had some thoughts of his own on the subject.
After lunch I took Nais and went to pay my respects at the Night Sorcerer's temple. We went in the open carriage and Cousin Miztli appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, to escort us when we were about to leave. The temple is underground, cellar level rather than something more sinister and mysterious. The block above it is occupied by an apothecary's shop, something very similar to a pub, and a free health clinic for the poor. These days the temple has its own, quite unobtrusive entrance, but according to Miztli when Tlemutsiko was part of the Empire it was accessed through secret doors in the ground level buildings. As the Imperial authorities never found it, it was never destroyed and so was not rebuilt. All the parts of it that I saw were lit with oil lamps, and the walls were decorated with carvings in a style that held no Imperial influence. Some of them depicting human dismemberment were quite graphic. On the other hand, some sections were a herbal and the work was so fine that I could identify the herbs being used. The senior, and perhaps only, priest introduced himself as Youalitlahtolwelilstil. He's an older man, spare in body and manner, whose skin appeared very dark in the temple's lighting, and on this occasion was wearing an elaborate loin cloth, and a cloak that exposed one shoulder. Most of his scalp was bald or shaven except for a circle at the back and top of his head which had hair so long that the three braids that arose from there were tied in a knot that stuck up from the top of his head and still fell down his back almost to his waist.
Miztli and Nais bowed to him in the local fashion. I curtsied as I would to a bishop.
Youalitlahtolwelilstil laughed, and told me in a rough voice but good Imperial that at least I had manners. Then he asked me why I was here. I replied that as the Night Sorcerer had chosen to keep a watch over my family when I entered the Confederation, I understood that it behoved me to make an appropriate gift to his temple in response to his graciousness. The priest's response, as best I recall it, was, "Very pretty, but why are you in the Confederation?" I explained about the request to come and help Great-aunt after Great-uncle's death. I wasn't sure if I should say any more and gave Miztli an quick glance to see if he would offer any guidance. He didn't, but the priest frowned and asked me if I intended to return to the Empire. I answered that I did intend to return home, if I was allowed to. He then proceeded to ask me questions, walking around me, in circles, backwards and forwards. Miztli tried to say something several times, but Youalitlahtolwelilstil shushed him when he did. What did I know about magic? Nothing, except for horseshoes and wood touching for luck, and blessing someone who sneezes. Medicine? Only what you might know from being alive and being trained to look after the household remedies. He asked me what I would use for different severities of headache, an ankle sprain, fevers, and fevers with spots. Some of it he shook his head at, some he asked what my preferred remedy was, and some he nodded his head at. He asked where I got the ingredients for my remedies from, the methods I used to prepare them, and what I looked for when I need to buy herbs and other makings from an apothecary. Finally, he looked me up and down and said he thought that Lord Iznuallatl and I might deal very well together.
I bought up the subject of a suitable gift. Youalitlahtolwelilstil asked what my skills were, and I answered that embroidered household goods was something I am good at. We agreed that something to support the dignity of Lord Iznuallatl's priests while entertaining other clergy would be suitable. I asked if a dinner table was involved, and is so, how many it seated. Yes, there is a dinner table, and it seats up to thirteen. I said that I would think of something suitable and noted that I have hopes of being home by solstice.
The meeting ended then, with bowing and curtsying, and then we made our way upstairs back into the light and found that the meeting had taken a little over an hour. Miztli remarked that he hadn't realised that I was undergoing and examination today. He asked Nais what her experience had been, and she replied primly that it was her father who had paid his respects to the family patron, and he had had to undergo physical tests - speed, strength, hearing, etc. Miztli said fairly lightly that he should ask his grandmother, Great-aunt Giltreeada, what their visit to the family patron's temple had been like. It was a piece of family history, he added, that they should all know about from both of his grandparents' points of view.
I asked if we could visit a shop that sells table linens on our way back to the house. I explained that I had an idea for my gift to the temple, and that as I might only be here for a short time, I should get started on it as soon as possible. Cousin Miztli has no idea where one goes to buy such th8ings, but Nais suggested three different shops and he directed the coachman to drive us to the closest. Most of the cloths this establishment sells are Confederation grown and woven cottons. There were some Imperial linens and other imported cloths on one side of the store, but after discussing the matter with Miztli we agreed that a gift to honour a local god would best be made from products produced under that deity's auspices. With the shop's attendant I found a cloth large enough for the priest's dining table in a fabric that would be suitable for embroidery, and enquired as to the price. It seemed reasonable, and I had more than enough money on me, so I bought it there and then. We began to return home then, with Nais pointing out various stores to me on the way. I don't think Miztli would have thought that I would be interested in embroidery and other sewing supplies, bookshops, or stationery. [I suspect that stationery might be something that just appears when he needs it.] Nais said something about an official building, and I remembered that I had three days to register my permanent address. I immediately brought this up to Miztli because, firstly, was the three days up today or tomorrow, and secondly, isn't tomorrow a day of rest? I thought it was much to Cousin Miztli's credit that he didn't castigate me for my forgetfulness but immediately directed the coachman to drive us the administrative building where such things are handled. It was a drive, with traffic, of maybe twenty minutes. Cousin Miztli gave directions to the coachman in rapid Coac-htl, which I did not follow, then he escorted Nais and I inside so we could update our details with the authorities. [Nais also needs to keep her current permanent residence updated with the authorities, and when I suggested it, she was very happy to do it today instead of waiting till her half day off, and then using her time to do this administrative task instead of doing something enjoyable.] There were only two people waiting ahead of us when we arrived and when we were seen to, the entire process didn't take long, but that may have been due to Cousin Miztli standing in the working area and looking imposing. I'm not sure how he managed to intimidate the entire office just by standing there, but he did.
We drove straight back to the house after that, and i spent some time in the parlor with Great-aunt Giltreeada doing embroidery while Tehaneume read aloud from a novel in Coac-htl. I didn't understand as much of it as I would have liked. but apparently it pre-dates the Empire's involvement in these parts so the language it uses is very old fashioned, but not so much as to be archaic. I am told that it has been translated into Imperial and published as Love and the Obsidian Knife.
At dinner I was seated opposite Terhaneume and between Cousin Axolin and Cousin Nahuaitlau. During the meal I took the opportunity to ask what happens on a day of rest. Apparently all the shops will be closed as will those temples that do not have services - temple services run on the tzolk calendar, which is based on the orbit of the planet Matlalitlallin (our name is Euploia). In the household, all meals will be one dish, to reduce work for the kitchen, and taken in the breakfast room for the family. (I may be the only female member of the family who does not otherwise breakfast in my room.) There will be warm water for washing at the beginning and end of the day, but no baths will be filled. Chamber pots will be emptied, but the retiring rooms should be used. (The house does not have flushing toilets but the retiring rooms on each floor do have fittings that allow chamber pots to be to be emptied and cleaned there, and avoid the possibility of nasty spillages on stairs. [We moved on quickly from this subject.]) I am not obliged to avoid particular activities myself but to avoid making more work for others.
As tomorrow is Naiphday, I asked about Imperial Church services. Apparently the churches that were erected during Imperial occupation were demolished at the end of the War of Secession and the land returned to its original use - the temple of Lady Xochihtli is an example. The consulate has a private chapel, but attendance at services is by prior arrangement. [It is partly the private residence of the consul, or so I understand, so I can understand that.] That led me to ask whether I should present myself to the consulate for registration, or as a matter of good manners. Cousin Axolin considered the matter and said that I should also consult his father, but if I wanted to attend services in their chapel it was essential. He went on that registration isn't expected - a certain portion of any nation's travellers don't want their government to know where they are and what they are doing. Additionally, any emergency that might result in my needing assistance from outside the family was likely to be so overwhelmingly bad that the consulate would also be seeking help. I asked if their local storms were so bad, and he replied no, he'd been thinking of the possibility that one of the underwater volcanoes might erupt violently and cause a tidal wave. He added that it was very unlikely at the current time, and that there were procedures and drills for such eventualities. Tehaneume scolded him for scaring me.
After we had our kasoolht, Great-aunt Giltreeada, Cousin Poktlilu, Tehaneume, and I played maistoto. After six hands, Great-aunt was ready for her bed. Cousin Poktlilu and I finished about even, with Tehaneume not far behind us, but we were all eclipsed by Great-aunt Giltreeada. Little old ladies make the most ruthless card players.
Nais was waiting for me when I came up to bed, for which I thanked her - and she told me that it was something that she expected to do. It seems that there are details of a lady's maid's duties that I have either not realised or not realised that my maid would do for me. After she had done the things she thought were her responsibility and before I dismissed her for the night I made sure that she knew what the household's changed routine would be tomorrow. She told me that she did, and asked me if I wanted her to adhere to it. I replied that as we are guests, I thought it best to do so - adding that the principle seems to be to not add unnecessary work for others. She went off to bed, and I finished writing up this journal for the day.
As a final comment, some of the carvings in the temple today did bring to mind the more lurid stories about old time religion in what is now the Confederation.
Anadrasata Nearabhigan